The present invention relates generally to devices for the connection and quick release of tool accessories, such as sockets, and, more particularly, to apparatus for effecting the safe and rapid release of such tool accessories which are otherwise safely connected for use in an impact type power tool.
1. Field of the Invention
With the increasing popularity of portable tools, and particularly such devices as drills, rotary wrenches and air driven devices, the tool industry has prioritized in the areas of safety and convenience. Whether it be in the home xe2x80x9cdo it yourselferxe2x80x9d or in heavy industry, emphasis has been placed on workplace safety and even more so if that place is the home.
Mindful of the adage that xe2x80x9ctime is moneyxe2x80x9d, emphasis has fallen similarly on convenience. Combining both objectives tends to increase the magnitude of design problems exponentially. The goal is to strike a balance between these objectives while optimizing each. The apparatus of the present invention is intended to meet this goal by providing, in the limited field of quick disconnect tool accessories for use with air driven impact tools, the ability to connect and release such accessories as sockets, for example, safely, and set with minimum effort, even in the most intensive setting.
2. Overview of the Prior Art
It is common, if not universal practice, to position and hold such tool accessories with a detent mechanism. Specifically, the accessory is pushed on to a mandrel, also referred to in the art as an anvil, typically having an accessory receiving section which is rectangular in cross section, in which is embedded a detent in the nature of a ball, or pin, which is spring biased outwardly, protruding from the mandrel. As the accessory is pushed over the detent, it moves inwardly against the spring bias, and then into an aperture in the accessory where it is held, hopefully, against inadvertent release.
Hsieh U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,632 is an example of a hand tool, as distinguished from a power tool, such as an impact tool, in which basic principals of a quick release accessory are disclosed.
Hsieh appears to have borrowed to a significant extent from Rose et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,682, which teaches the removal of the spring bias in favor of a series of steel balls in a passage which engage the detent ball. The series of balls is capable of being manually released to permit the retraction of the detent and, thus, release of the accessory. A latch protrudes outwardly from the mandrel and is manually depressed to cause release of the pressure on the detent.
Inventors in the field, including Hsieh in his U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,414, expanded on his stop rod, as an alternative to a string of balls, and provided an alternative manual latch mechanism, again employing a control rod protruding outwardly from the mandrel where it can be manually depressed to effect release of a remote detent.
Other patents in the art seem to distinguish themselves from inventors such as Hsieh and Rose et al. by strategic placement of spring biasing of the mechanism. A thread common to each, however, is the use of a manually depressible release which protrudes above the mandrel where it can be manually manipulated to release pressure on the detent in order to remove the accessory from the mandrel.
The quick release mechanism of the present invention provides an element of safety, without sacrifice to convenience, by presenting to the consumer such a mechanism in which the latch remains beneath the outer circumference of the mandrel, even under the influence of significant centrifugal force, while permitting, at the appropriate time, digital release of the detent for removal of an accessory, such as a socket, safely and conveniently.
It is an objective, therefore, of the present invention, to provide a quick release mechanism of the type described, which is both safe and efficient for use with an air driven tool such as an impact tool.
It is another and further objective of the present invention to provide a quick release mechanism in which there are no protruding rotating elements which enhance the prospect of clothing being snagged, leading to more serious injury, or even knuckles being rapped and hands injured, as the mandrel is rotated at considerable speeds.
An objective, related to the foregoing, is to provide a fast and efficient quick release system capable of effective use in commercial environments and, in particular, where heavy loads and higher speeds are encountered on a daily basis.
It will be appreciated that other objects and advantages of the present invention will occur to those skilled in the art when the following Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment is read in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein: